Penticton is a town sandwiched neatly between two lakes. On the south end one finds the smaller of the pair, Skaha, and on the north side the mighty Okanagan, stretching onward for an impressive 135km. While each certainly have their merits, of the two, Okanagan Lake has always been my favourite, and it is certainly where I spent far more childhood days with my toes in the sand and surf alike.

On the far west end of Okanagan Lake, docked and out of water travel commission for several decades now, you encounter a slice of the beloved past in the form of a paddlewheel boat by the name of the SS Sicamous. Once one of the largest ships to ply the waters between Penticton and all other towns and communities along the lake's hefty border, the Sicamous was a vital part of life in the Okanagan during the early days of the twentieth century.

As time wore on however, railway lines, modern roads, and later the construction of local airports all conspired to help put paddlewheel boats (be they for the transportation of passengers, mail, or goods) out of service in this part of British Columbia. While the Sicamous' fate was questionable for a while after she was put on grounded, thankfully a group of local citizens saw to it that she was permanently docked on shore to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike as a museum and event hall.

Instead of floating passengers up and down the mighty Okanagan, for many years now the Sicamous has served as a local landmark and can be visited throughout much of the year for a small fee (or rented for events). As with most pieces with age to their name (especially those made largely from wood), the SS Sicamous needs an ongoing dose of repairs and maintenance to ensure she remains safe and presentable for all those who come to spend time on her sturdy decks.

For as long as Penticton has been in my life (so pretty much from the get-go), I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Sicamous, and often daydreamed as a child playing mere feet away in the warm waters of Okanagan Lake, what it must have been like to travel on her during her heyday.

It was with no small amount of elation then that I learned earlier in the year that my parent's renovation company, Ricklyn Renos would be doing work this summer on the Sicamous. The reno repairs/improvements they've been making are terrific, and will go a long way in helping to ensure that the Sicamous continues to sit majestically on the shores of Okanagan Lake for many years to come.

While I'd certainly stepped foot on the Sicamous before throughout my life for various events and simply to visit, before this year I'd never had a family connection to one of the area's most impressive and important pieces of history.

With that thought in mind, one gloriously sunny summer day not too long ago, as the afternoon hours slowly burned into early evening, Tony and I hopped in the car and shot some photos near the once powerful paddlewheel of the Sicamous, as well as the surrounding area, including the charming little vintage tugboats that are located beside the great ship they once helped traverse the waters of Okanagan Lake.

These images bring a smile to my face and heart alike, for they capture not only the spirit of summer's golden beauty, but also some of the grandeur and elegance of of the SS Sicamous and a time when water travel was vital to the area's economy, growth, and daily life. Which I'm now honoured to say, my own parents have had a small role in helping to preserve for generations of locals and visitors alike to discover, enjoy and daydream about - just as I long have - too.

Thank you, hon! As this beautiful boat no longer plies the waters here, I don't believe I've had the chance to ever ride on a functioning paddle wheeler before. Hopefully one day, as that's an experience I just know I'd adore!

You look so pretty. I love the details of your skirt and shoes. That lake looks really pretty too. I rode on the steam engine on Disneyland once it was cool. I know Lake Tahoe also has steamboat tours. It's a bit pricy though.

Many thanks, dear gal! These shoes have seen many a summer and are a bit worn, but they're still holding in there and I suspect they'll last until next summer and possibly (fingers crossed) even beyond.

Oh my, dear Jess!Everything in this outfit looks so delicate and in harmony with your beauty and style!Love the skirt and bangles - which you can pack together with the dress from the other post and ship to Brazil hehe

Oh my-that is one beautiful place! I would LOVE to go there! Its just gorgeous! I felt peaceful just looking at all the pics of the trees and water. Thats one of the reasons I like the area of NY that I live in-it has more trees and nature than in other parts of the city.

You look lovely in that outfit as well-my favorite colors-red and blue!!! xox

Awww, you're very sweet, Sean, thank you. Actually, there hasn't been an improvement with my current flare-up...these photos were taken considerably earlier in the summer, but I was feeling well enough to write that post about them, so that's a good thing for sure. :)

I was out thrifting by myself the other day when I spotted this cropped cardigan in broad, horizontal navy and white stripes. It had rope detailing on the edges and 4 oversized decorative buttons. I snatched it up for my sister at $3.50 and brought it home. She pranced around in it, amazed how seemed to be made for her. But man, if I were her size I would never take that little nautical cardigan off. Too cute.

Thank you, hon! It's funny actually because this cardi was sold as being "cropped", and on most people it probably would be, but I'm petite and relatively short waisted, so to help it looked cropped on me, tying is a must :)

The riverboat trade helped shape South Australia and the rest of Australia's early history too. Several have been restored with the diligence and patience of valued volunteers and they now take tourists along the River Murray. No wonder 'Anchors Aweigh' comes to mind with your nautically inspired outfit and the great photos.

How wonderful that some of the ships that helped to shape the history and economy of your area have been restored, too - I wish our town had taken the same path as yours and still kept a steamboat or two in operation.

Thank you very much, dear Joanna, you're so sweet! I've been wearing my make-up like this for quite some time now, so I've got my day-to-day routine pretty down pat at this point. I'd say it takes me about 25 minutes (at most) to go from a completely bare face to what you see in shots like this.

I usually don't have too much trouble with my lipstick staying on, and I'm happy to share what I do so that such is the case. First I line and completely fill in my lips with a good quality red lip liner (I've been using one from a Canadian company called Annabelle for at least three years now and just love it), then I apply a coat of MAC's Russian red (or whatever red I'm wearing that day), blot with a tissue, give it a moment, apply a second layer, and blot again. Then I gentle place the end of my index finger into my mouth, close my lips around it and draw my finger out, as doing so really helps to cut down on the amount of lipstick that's apt to transfer to my teeth. If I'm wearing gloss (which I wasn't in these shots), I'll then apply it, otherwise I'm good to go after that last step.

Thank you all very much for your wonderfully nice comments! I'm so happy we (me + Tony) grabbed these shots earlier this summer, as I've not been well enough to go out for most of this month and have been relying on snaps like these (from earlier in the summer) to keep my (roughly) weekly outfit posts going lately.

Tons of hugs & best wishes for the week ahead to each of you,♥ Jessica

This marvelous post has inspired me to learn more about your town and its history! For you to have a connection to the restoration of the wonderful boat is very exciting. Your red, white and blue nautical outfit is charming. Just love it! Looking forward to more about your neck of the woods!

thanks for your nice comment ... i don't think there's a better vintage/antique market in germany as in the us or canada ... i suppose in germany are just less people intrested in vintage clothes from the 40s/50s - and less people that spend so much time on hunting vintage treasures (like i and my bf do. here in germany are a lot of rockabilly girls but they prefer to buy retro dresses with skulls and cherry prints.

Hi dear gal, good question (I haven't been on board recently myself actually, especially since I've been quite ill all month and haven't been out of the house in weeks to go visit them while they're working on the boat). The renos are mostly structural improvements and updates, more than changing the look of things, but I'll ask my parents when they're done if they have any before and after photos I could post.

I'm Jessica, a lifelong lover of all things antique and vintage, especially those from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

This blog is my visual scrapbook in which I record and share my thoughts on the multitude of sources, people and products that inspire and feed a modern gal's addiction to the past. I also post about the vintage clothes, hairstyles and make-up looks that I adore wearing.

Stay a spell and have a blast as we explore the incomparably fantastic world of vintage history and fashion together.

All images used on this site are credited to their original posters/creators/sources,
however if at any time you would prefer not to see one of your images here, please email me and I'll take it down right away.

PS...I just wanted to say thank you very much for visiting and to tell you that you're equal parts awesome and beautiful.